Tesla (TSLA) CFO sells 3,000 shares after option exercises
Filing Impact
Filing Sentiment
Form Type
4
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Tesla, Inc. Chief Financial Officer Vaibhav Taneja exercised stock options and sold shares in a planned transaction. On May 13, 2026, he exercised options covering 3,000 shares of common stock at exercise prices of $18.22 and $18.44 per share, then sold 3,000 shares at $450.00 per share.
According to a footnote, about 1,337 of the sold shares were used to cover the option exercise costs and related tax withholding obligations, and the transactions were executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on November 17, 2025. After these transactions, he held 18,106.5 shares directly and 111,000 shares indirectly, including 55,500 shares in GRATs for which he is trustee and 55,500 shares in GRATs for which his spouse is trustee.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
Insider Trade Summary
Net Seller: 3,000 shares ($1,350,000)
Net Sell
6 txns
Insider
Taneja Vaibhav
Role
Chief Financial Officer
Sold
3,000 shs ($1.35M)
| Type | Security | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) | 1,000 | $0.00 | -- |
| Exercise | Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) | 2,000 | $0.00 | -- |
| Exercise | Common Stock | 1,000 | $18.44 | $18K |
| Exercise | Common Stock | 2,000 | $18.22 | $36K |
| Sale | Common Stock | 3,000 | $450.00 | $1.35M |
| holding | Common Stock | -- | -- | -- |
Holdings After Transaction:
Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) — 2,390 shares (Direct, null);
Common Stock — 19,106.5 shares (Direct, null);
Common Stock — 111,000 shares (Indirect, See Footnote)
Footnotes (1)
- The transactions reported on this Form 4 were effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person on November 17, 2025. Out of the total of 3,000 shares sold on May 13, 2026, approximately 1,337 shares were sold to cover the exercise price, and to satisfy the reporting person's tax withholding obligations related to the exercise of stock options to purchase 3,000 shares as reported herein. 55,500 shares are held directly by the reporting person in GRATs, for which the reporting person is a trustee, and 55,500 shares are held directly by the spouse of the reporting person in GRATs, for which the spouse of the reporting person is a trustee. Represents part of a single option award grant, including Incentive Stock Options. 1/60th of the aggregate shares subject to the option became vested and exercisable on November 1, 2018, and 1/60th of the shares subject to the option shall become vested and exercisable each month thereafter, so that all such shares subject to this option became fully vested on October 1, 2023. 1/8th of the shares subject to the option became vested and exercisable on September 13, 2019, and an additional 1/48th of the shares subject to the option vested each month thereafter, so that all such shares subject to this option became fully vested on March 13, 2023.
Key Figures
Shares sold: 3,000 shares
Sale price: $450.00 per share
Options exercised at $18.22: 2,000 shares
+5 more
8 metrics
Shares sold
3,000 shares
Common stock sold on May 13, 2026
Sale price
$450.00 per share
Price for 3,000 common shares sold
Options exercised at $18.22
2,000 shares
Non-qualified stock options exercised at $18.22
Options exercised at $18.44
1,000 shares
Non-qualified stock options exercised at $18.44
Direct holdings after
18,106.5 shares
Common stock held directly after transactions
Indirect holdings after
111,000 shares
Common stock held indirectly after transactions
GRAT holdings (reporting person)
55,500 shares
Shares in GRATs where reporting person is trustee
GRAT holdings (spouse)
55,500 shares
Shares in GRATs where spouse is trustee
Key Terms
Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy), GRATs, tax withholding obligations, +1 more
5 terms
Rule 10b5-1 trading plan financial
"The transactions reported on this Form 4 were effected pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted by the reporting person on November 17, 2025."
A Rule 10b5-1 trading plan is a pre-arranged schedule that allows company insiders to buy or sell stock at specific times, even if they have inside information. It helps prevent accusations of unfair trading by making these transactions look planned and transparent, rather than sneaky or illegal.
Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) financial
"Non-Qualified Stock Option (right to buy) ... Exercise or conversion of derivative security"
GRATs financial
"55,500 shares are held directly by the reporting person in GRATs, for which the reporting person is a trustee, and 55,500 shares are held directly by the spouse of the reporting person in GRATs"
tax withholding obligations financial
"approximately 1,337 shares were sold to cover the exercise price, and to satisfy the reporting person's tax withholding obligations related to the exercise of stock options"
Incentive Stock Options financial
"Represents part of a single option award grant, including Incentive Stock Options."
Incentive stock options are a type of employee stock option that gives eligible workers the right to buy company shares at a fixed price later on, often below future market value. They matter to investors because they align employee incentives with company performance, can dilute existing ownership when exercised, and create potential tax advantages for option holders if certain holding-time rules are met — think of them as a coupon to buy stock at today’s price with extra tax rules attached.
FAQ
What insider transaction did Tesla (TSLA) CFO Vaibhav Taneja report?
Tesla CFO Vaibhav Taneja reported exercising options for 3,000 shares and selling 3,000 Tesla common shares. The sale and exercises occurred on May 13, 2026 as part of his equity compensation activity disclosed in a Form 4 insider trading report.
Were Tesla (TSLA) CFO Vaibhav Taneja’s trades made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan?
Yes. The filing states the transactions were effected under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on November 17, 2025. Such pre-arranged plans schedule trades in advance, indicating these sales and exercises followed a predetermined trading framework.
What stock options did Tesla (TSLA) CFO Vaibhav Taneja exercise?
He exercised non-qualified stock options for 2,000 shares at a $18.22 exercise price and 1,000 shares at a $18.44 exercise price. Footnotes describe these as parts of prior option grants that fully vested by 2023, with stated vesting schedules and expiration dates in 2028 and 2029.